Scott v Matt and Mollie

[Jono]

The BBC will also re-evaluate its priorities, promising to focus on British comedy and drama, cutting- edge journalism, top quality children’s programmes and distinctive cultural output.

To free cash for the changes, however, there will have to be closures, most notably in its radio and online divisions. Here, we examine the detailed plans set to be unveiled by the Director-General next month.

Radio

Tim Davie, the director of Audio and Music, will face the brunt of the cuts, as the corporation announces the closure of the digital stations 6 Music and the Asian Network by the end of 2011.

The demise of 6 Music, the niche provider of alternative music, combined with changes at Radio 2, enables the BBC to claim that it is leaving the commercial radio sector far more room to provide popular music to 30 to 50-year-olds.

The digital radio industry will be distraught by the plans, as it relies on the BBC’s digital stations as a key driver towards analogue switch-off, which is already running well behind schedule and is unlikely to go ahead by the target date of 2015.

The BBC’s local radio stations will be asked to produce better quality news during the peak hours of breakfast and drivetime.

Radio 1 Andy Parfitt, the station Controller, will be told that the demise of 6 Music will lead Radio 1 to become the corporation’s only major outlet for popular music. He will be ordered to tie the station more closely to 1Xtra, its digital counterpart, with greater cross-promotion.

Radio 2 The BBC Trust reviewed the future of Radio 2, the nation’s most popular station, earlier this month, concluding that it must pick up more listeners over the age of 65 and become “more distinctive”.

The review will order Bob Shennan, the station controller, to air more jazz and comedy at peak times, as well as ensuring that at least half of the station’s daytime output consists of documentaries or speech radio.

Radio 3 No major changes

Radio 4 No major changes

Radio 5 Live/Sports Extra No major changes

6 Music In a review of 6 Music published earlier this month, the BBC Trust said that the station should seek to increase its 695,000 weekly listeners, but ruled out any boost to its £6 million budget. The corporation’s response will be to close the alternative music station entirely, to the chagrin of the 60,000 people who have signed an online petition to keep it alive. The BBC will admit that the average age of a 6 Music listener — 35 — is very desirable for advertisers, and the station unfairly harms its commercial radio rivals.

Radio 7 The BBC’s most popular digital station, with nearly 1 million listeners, will be rebranded as Radio 4 Extra and more closely aligned with its sister station. Some will say that the station should have been closed, as its content is almost entirely repeats of comedies, dramas and children’s programmes that have previously been aired elsewhere.

Asian Network The station will be another major casualty of the review. The BBC will say that the Asian population is too complex to be served by a single network. Listener numbers have slumped over the past year to 360,000 per week, and the station, at 6.9p per listener hour, is ten times more expensive to run than the relative cost of Radio 1. The corporation may suggest exploring the prospect of setting up a handful of part-time, local radio stations in areas with high Asian populations that would carry syndicated content. But BBC Trust sources said that they would oppose this move.

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/media/article7041826.ece

[kyle_y]

My first post!

I'll be very sad to see 6 Music go. Where else will I get my regular dosage of George Lamb? :shock:

On a more serious note there are a few DJs and presenters from 6Music and Asian Network who could somehow fit into the daytime Radio 1 schedule if the two stations were to close. Mainly George Lamb, Bobby Friction, Nihal, Lauren Laverne and Adil Ray. And I suppose there are many others from 6 Music who could slot into the Radio 2 schedule.

Considering the unique way 6Music and Asian Network provide niche and specialised music and content in a way commerical stations and local community stations can only dream of should IMO secure their long term future seeing as it meets the criteria of public service broadcasting regardless of the listening figures. Both stations would be sadly missed by me.

[fzoe]

:x

I'm not a happy bunny regarding the closure of 6Music. I like to think that the BBC took risks with that station. Closing it down just means they're bowing to the Daily Mail types.

[DC]

how will it help with the closure of 6 music, by playing more 1xtra stuff? radio 1 may as well go into an all out indie station, like they've been planning to do for years anyway.

i know i'll miss dave pearce's show on 6 music.

[The Stig]

I don't like the sound of more corss promotion between 1Xtra. BBC need to realise as an avid R1 listener I don't want to listen to 1Xtra

[Ant L]

I don't like the sound of more corss promotion between 1Xtra. BBC need to realise as an avid R1 listener I don't want to listen to 1Xtra

I agree. 1Xtra plays one genre of music whilst Radio 1 plays a mixture. Cross-promoting 1Xtra is simply giving priority to one kind of music - something which Radio 1 avoids by use of the varied playlist.

I'm pretty sure there's enough cross-promotion anyway on Saturday evenings.

[the_grove]

If the closure of 6music leads to more rock and less RnB/Pop being played on Radio 1, that's a good thing. Sad to see 6music go, though...

[yorkieboy]

Listening to 5live this morning it seems alot of people are upset about 6music closing and suggested things like not covering the Winter Olympics which is probably a good suggestion, or at least just to send say three or four people out there. If 6music does go however I'd be delighted if Radio One starts putting more new music and other types of music into it's playlist instead of the repetitive commercial crap that we get at the moment in the daytime. I think most people are like me and listen to radio one because the DJ's aren't as patronising and boring as the one's on commercial radio and are funny.

[Nik B.]

Bugger. 6Music was where I was going to tune into once Moyles goes. This means now I'll be forced to the Radio Oldie. Grrr.

[simon38]

I go to 6music when evans finishes,lauren,nemone and steve lamacq,when scott is off

[Nik B.]

Probably should mention that I heard Tony Livesey talking about this on 5Live last night, and not one person was in favour of this move.

[Chippy]

But Adam and Joe are on 6 Music - and they are the best thing on radio (though currently taking a break)

[the_grove]

I just read this comment on a guardian messageboard and I totally agree with it:

I really don't see the logic of cutting BBC 6 Music.

It does exactly what the I feel BBC radio is meant to do, play unknown or less commercial music without having to bow to pressure to go with record labels' playlists. There's nothing like it in the commercial scene and they should really be looking at moving it off DAB and onto FM.

If anything it should be Radio 1 that gets cuts since that is what's really competing with commercial radio stations.

Apart from the cuts at Radio 1 part, of course, this really is a point.

[augusta92]

There are massive budget cuts ahead for public services...England is in the middle of a recession,

Sad as I would be if digital stations have to close, it does feel kind of inevitable. The bbc will have to make cuts somewhere...so why not the minority music stations?

[DarkAngelMJH]

I only really listen to Adam and Joe on 6music and would be very sad to see them go. I expect that they would get picked up somewhere else. They would be good for a Sunday morning on R1, might have to change the music they play though.

[Chippy]

I only really listen to Adam and Joe on 6music and would be very sad to see them go. I expect that they would get picked up somewhere else. They would be good for a Sunday morning on R1, might have to change the music they play though.

<3 They are the best.

And where would Boggins go!!!

[jesss]

If the closure of 6music leads to more rock and less RnB/Pop being played on Radio 1, that's a good thing. Sad to see 6music go, though...

i agree with this, but i really do not 6music to be axed. Also if i wanted to listen to RnB music i would listen to 1xtra so i dont think they need to play more 1xtra music on radio1.

[the_grove]

Sad as I would be if digital stations have to close, it does feel kind of inevitable. The bbc will have to make cuts somewhere...so why not the minority music stations?

Because the BBC is here to provide service for everyone, not just mainstream stuff. In fact, the BBC should rather cut their mainstream programmes than the specialist ones. Whenever commercial radio or their advocates criticise that the BBC is becoming too powerful with Radio 1 and Radio 2, that's a fair point. But no-one can criticise 6music; its not taking any audiences away from commercial radio.

The problem with 6music seems to be that not enough people know it exists. More cross-promotion on Radio 1, 2 and BBC one would help, surely.

Cutting costs at the BBC is a dangerous thing. The recent cuts - if they are to occur - will lead to the BBC losing acceptance in the Asian community and in peel-ish music lovers that just feel sickened by the mainstream music output of Radio 1 and 2 and the commercial stations. But this is just the start of it.

It also seems that Radio 2 will become a weird jazz-speech-old people-station (slight exaggeration) that's trying to be a bit of everything that's not exactly mainstream. If they are not careful, Radio 2 will also lose audiences.

What's next? Getting rid of Switch? Getting rid of all the sports programmes because buying the rights is expensive?

The way this is going will see the BBC losing acceptance. The licence fee in general will be questioned far more often. It is not too unlikely that the BBC will shrink more and more and might even be privatised. The likes of Murdoch are just waiting for this to happen. And the Conservatives - well they are not the strongest defenders of the BBC.

The BBC is bringing very good services to the people and to the society in general. Its quality of journalism is excellent, probably the best in the world. I strongly believe that a democracy needs a publicly funded journalism/broadcasting institution like the BBC. And indeed one of the size of the current BBC. Not a one-TV-one-radio-station thing that no-one listens to.

[Computer]

I will miss 6music, Shaun Keaveny is my brekkie show!!! Music wise NME is pretty much similar though and it's what I tune into most of the day, if they can nab some of 6music's personality presenters that would be great!

[E*F*4L]

radio-2 to cater for the over 65's !

are they having a laugh !

as for no changes at radio-3 & 4 well they are the most expensive stations to run & they are basically full of crap, radio-3 is poor in comparison to Classic FM & as for radio-4 well where do you start !

as for radio-7 well thats is just as bad as radio-4.

i'm sure that when the bbc is as shit as the crap that is shown on sky one for example & the Tories have sucked Rupert Murdoch's cock dry & turned the once famous BBC for the great programs it used to make into a pale shadow of it's former self they will be happy !

[DarkAngelMJH]

Radio's 3 & 4 aren't crap, yeah I don't listen to them and most likely never will but they have their place.

[yorkieboy]

Thinking about it, why don't they cut down on local radio. Ok it can serve a purpose of local news and some are really good for sport, but this is widely available on the website and on commercial local radio stations. It's widely accepted that they are for presenters who aren't goot enough to get on national radio so what's the point? The very few times I've listened they talk about really boring things that don't have anything to do with the region.

[Viv]

From the Guardian, by Phil Jupitus:-

Don't axe 6 Music by Phill Jupitus

Phill Jupitus "Being a DJ was never in my game plan, but when I was asked to launch BBC 6 Music and present the breakfast show, I thought I'd give it a go. The intention was to provide radio for the discerning music fan. There would be a more alternative playlist, an element of free choice for presenters and access to the BBC's archive of live and session performances. I played an eclectic range of artists, both new and old, unfettered by the formulaic constraints of a chart-based playlist. One morning we had a text vote for whether or not to play Curtain Call by the Damned, in its full 18 minutes of overwrought gothic glory. Hundreds voted yes. Of course, by minute 10, most had changed their mind. That is the beauty of 6 !?Music. If you don't like what's on now, there's always something good on in a minute. Cutting 6 Music is an act of cultural vandalism, and an !?affront to the memory of John Peel".

[simon38]

Don't see why they don't shut down bbc3,no point in the channel,stop sending contestants to argentina to take part in a poor mans it's a knockout.

[chatty]

I know alot of people are saying to shut down bbc 3 but when I think about it I've watched a few shows on there which I've liked. I have however never watched bbc 4. Is anybody the same?